US tourist in NZ who makes us all look bad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rude, loud, and stupid Americans. What else’s new?

For what it is worth, Americans do not have a monopoly on poor tourist behaviour. Chinese tourists are usually both loud and disrespectful when visiting sacred sites in the UK. The loudest tourists I have ever heard on the Tube were Italian. And so on…

Americans do have a terrible reputation as tourists. And yes, so do Chinese and others. We understand that. What makes this story interesting is that the offender is a local. I presume that is why OP posted it ---- because we all know a DC douchebag like this

"The finance company manager in Washington D.C., Brett Douglas Reck, appeared in the Nelson District Court this morning, delaying his planned return flight to the US to admit a charge of dangerous driving in relation to Friday night’s crash."

As an experienced traveller and a long term expat, it's Americans who obsess the most about bad American tourists. The concept of Europeans/Asians/whatever muttering about horrible American tourists lives more in the mind of certain Americans than in reality. Trust me when I say bad tourists come in all form and shape. Americans are pretty decent tourists and typically highly preferred for generosity and sociability. A lot of has to do with that it's mainly affluent Americans who travel and you've clearly never encountered working class European tourists or Australian redneck tourists or the Chinese tourist hordes.

Did you miss the point or just not read? We all know there are multiple groups to battle it out for worst tourist. Not the point. The story is of not to this crowd bc he’s a Capitol One employee living in Great Falls. Got it? Good

Of course I read. The post I quoted started out by claiming "Americans do have a terrible reputation as tourists." I responded to that.

The rest of your angry screed is not worth talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a mainly NZ take on this guy’s actions. They are less forgiving than DCUM.

https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/196yfqu/us_tourist_brett_reck_hit_car_on_highway_near/

Not really. Most of the comments are about how they struggled when they tried to drive on the right in the US and Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a mainly NZ take on this guy’s actions. They are less forgiving than DCUM.

https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/196yfqu/us_tourist_brett_reck_hit_car_on_highway_near/

Not really. Most of the comments are about how they struggled when they tried to drive on the right in the US and Europe.

Right, but also a lot of confusion about how he possibly could have driven on the wrong side for a full 10 minutes, unless he was drunk.

[Anonymous]

Any update on this story? I wonder what was the result of the toxicology report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threw a beer can out the window?

Child needs round the clock care but they traveled half way around the world for vacation?

So he's a local who works at C1 and lives in great falls, lovely.

He's obviously someone who made a terrible choice and is incredibly lucky he didn't kill someone, but why are you judging him for taking a disabled child on vacation, rather than for driving drunk? The ableism in your post is staggering.

He tried to use the child as an excuse for needing to leave the country before being tested for alcohol level. Child has high needs and had to have both parents with him so he needed to leave with family asap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threw a beer can out the window?

Child needs round the clock care but they traveled half way around the world for vacation?

So he's a local who works at C1 and lives in great falls, lovely.

He's obviously someone who made a terrible choice and is incredibly lucky he didn't kill someone, but why are you judging him for taking a disabled child on vacation, rather than for driving drunk? The ableism in your post is staggering.

He tried to use the child as an excuse for needing to leave the country before being tested for alcohol level. Child has high needs and had to have both parents with him so he needed to leave with family asap.

That’s what he claimed anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rude, loud, and stupid Americans. What else’s new?

For what it is worth, Americans do not have a monopoly on poor tourist behaviour. Chinese tourists are usually both loud and disrespectful when visiting sacred sites in the UK. The loudest tourists I have ever heard on the Tube were Italian. And so on…

Americans do have a terrible reputation as tourists. And yes, so do Chinese and others. We understand that. What makes this story interesting is that the offender is a local. I presume that is why OP posted it ---- because we all know a DC douchebag like this

"The finance company manager in Washington D.C., Brett Douglas Reck, appeared in the Nelson District Court this morning, delaying his planned return flight to the US to admit a charge of dangerous driving in relation to Friday night’s crash."

As an experienced traveller and a long term expat, it's Americans who obsess the most about bad American tourists. The concept of Europeans/Asians/whatever muttering about horrible American tourists lives more in the mind of certain Americans than in reality. Trust me when I say bad tourists come in all form and shape. Americans are pretty decent tourists and typically highly preferred for generosity and sociability. A lot of has to do with that it's mainly affluent Americans who travel and you've clearly never encountered working class European tourists or Australian redneck tourists or the Chinese tourist hordes.

Did you miss the point or just not read? We all know there are multiple groups to battle it out for worst tourist. Not the point. The story is of not to this crowd bc he’s a Capitol One employee living in Great Falls. Got it? Good

OP here. +1. That’s why it’s of interest to this board. Also, he was not behaving badly, but committed a crime. Will be interesting to see what the toxicology report says. If I see an update in the local news, I will post it here.

Well, he also behaved badly so it’s both crime and bad behavior
He was drinking and driving
He threw a beer can out the window
He lied about the said beer can
He said he drove on the other side b/c was tired (superiority and exceptionalism)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just returned from NZ after a two week vacation. It is hard to drive on the other side. MY DH despite his best efforts did end up driving on the wrong side, but quickly adjusted after a couple of honks. Thankfully no issues.

That’s insane! I could do it at 18, and again after 30 years. You have no business driving if this happens to you. Having said that if you also don’t know how to drive a car ie only drive an automatic you are just not a driver

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately not uncommon.

https://crux.org.nz/crux-news/overseas-tourist-flees-country-after-queenstown-wrong-way-smash

How does case number TWO mentioned in this thread demonstrate that it's not uncommon? How many Americans do this in NZ per year?

My point is that this type of accident is not infrequent in any country where tourists drive on the opposite side of the road to what they’re used to. I lived briefly in a tourist area in the north of Australia many years ago. Unfortunately there were a few Americans who killed themselves driving on the wrong side of the road. Very sad.

He was DRUNK. He admitted to drinking, threw the can out the window (was in fact actively drinking and driving), caused tremendous damage, almost caused fatalities to the other car and his family. This is NEWS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are vacationing in NZ, and this story involving a guy from home is all over the local news, and now locals also mention it to us when reminding us to drive on the left. I really wish Americans would try harder to avoid bad press abroad that affects other US visitors!

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/us-tourist-brett-reck-hit-car-on-highway-near-nelson-after-driving-on-wrong-side-of-road-for-10-minutes/ALUMKN4ZAFHCFG4DPCGZPZB554/

Hun, I have been coming and going from New Zealand for nearly 40 years. I used to live there. The kiwis have ALWAYS reminded visitors to drive on the left.

Road fatalities in NZ is always national news. Kind of like the sunburn time on the radio. Because you know, no ozone and shit.

In reality, there are many more newspaper articles in NZ about bad Asian tourist drivers.

It's actually quite hard to switch between driving on different sides of the road. It's ok on a divided highway, but pulling out of a parking lot, or on a lonely road, you have to think quite hard. All the driving lessons that were drilled into you as a teenager now have to be performed in mirror image.

In summertime, I'm convinced that all the senior journalists in NZ go on vacation. They tell the junior reporters left in the office to just write about road accidents.

The rate of road fatalities in Virginia is higher than in NZ, despite Virginia having one of the lower rates in the US. The difference in media coverage is quite stark though.

Maybe it's because there's about two degrees of separation in NZ compared to six here, so you're likely to know someone who was good friends with that guy who was killed in that horrible crash in Timaru or Taupo or Taranaki.

It is actually really not hard. If it is hard you shouldn’t do it. I wish they gave people an IQ test at the airport

[Anonymous]

Having said all of this, there are idiot foreigners driving like douches all over NZ. The hilarious part is this:

Various foreigners driving dangerously
NZ drivers pulling them over and confiscating keys (sometimes punching and slapping them)
Authorities urging NZ drivers not to take “justice into own hands”

NZ press:

“Police have urged motorists not to take matters into their own hands after a run of fatal accidents on New Zealand roads involving drivers from overseas.

Yesterday's assault occurred when a motorist signalled for the tourist driver on the West Coast to pull over - then punched him in the face and removed the keys from his car.”

[Anonymous]

OP, DUI confirmed. This guy should face consequences at home as well. He also lied to the police. I would fire him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:516,000 yanks visit NZ every year.

This is unfortunate but Kiwis are not going to judge half a million people by this one asshat.

Nothing wrong with hearing 'drive on the left' a few times a day.

OP here. The vast majority of those 500k visitors are cruise passengers who do not drive. I just thought this news item that is trending here in NZ should follow this guy home. He should be able to escape this story by flying home.

Do you know him or something? The vibe of this shaming is so personal. (And yes this dude was wrong duh)

No, but do you think someone should be able to commit a crime in a foreign country and then run home like nothing ever happened without being called on it!”?

NP - I mean, yes? He didn't kill anyone, he didn't hurt anyone, and is prepared to make restitution for the property damage. At best, he drove like an idiot; at worst, he was drinking and driving. It's clearly not good, but this wouldn't even have made the papers if it had happened here. But you seem intent on visiting transcontinental shame on this man, and giving this story more play than it would have had if it happened here. I agree with PP - it seems like you have a personal axe to grind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why everyone is excusing this guy when they were so hard on Anne Sacoulas for doing the same in England. And this guy did it for 10 minutes and possibly was drunk. He didn’t kill anyone, but easily could have done so.

Let's see if you can spot the difference in the situation, which is right in your post. I helpfully bolded it for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:516,000 yanks visit NZ every year.

This is unfortunate but Kiwis are not going to judge half a million people by this one asshat.

Nothing wrong with hearing 'drive on the left' a few times a day.

OP here. The vast majority of those 500k visitors are cruise passengers who do not drive. I just thought this news item that is trending here in NZ should follow this guy home. He should be able to escape this story by flying home.

Do you know him or something? The vibe of this shaming is so personal. (And yes this dude was wrong duh)

No, but do you think someone should be able to commit a crime in a foreign country and then run home like nothing ever happened without being called on it!”?

NP - I mean, yes? He didn't kill anyone, he didn't hurt anyone, and is prepared to make restitution for the property damage. At best, he drove like an idiot; at worst, he was drinking and driving. It's clearly not good, but this wouldn't even have made the papers if it had happened here. But you seem intent on visiting transcontinental shame on this man, and giving this story more play than it would have had if it happened here. I agree with PP - it seems like you have a personal axe to grind.

He drove on the opposite side of the road and didn’t kill anyone due to sheer luck. He’s now proven to be drunk. He’s also proven to have lied to the police.

She drove on the opposite side of the road and killed someone. She was not drunk.

In neither case was the justice served. But if she was vilified publicly, the drunk liar deserves it more.